Translator: Gayun Kim Reviewer: Andrea Garcia
My father gave me a different last name,
and we're both feminists and Muslim.
Now, I understand that to many of you
these two words side-by-side are
incomprehensible, incompatible
and certainly mutually exclusive.
A feminist Muslim is supposed to be
an oxymoron, right?
Because in the media,
feminists and Muslims are portrayed
as this
or that.
But the truth is these two words,
ideas, ways of life even
can overlap.
And what you hear and see
are often misconceptions
and cultural fabrications.
Now, the journey of being a Muslim
and becoming a feminist
was not an easy one.
Like many young girls,
I have been constantly inculcated
with societal norms about
how I should dress, act and talk.
In both the secular
and religious atmospheres,
I felt like a pawn
in an awful game of chess dictated by men.
Although I attended a Muslim school
that preached equality,
we girls always sat behind the boys during prayer.
And during my religion classes,
I was bombarded with the stories of only male prophets.
I was told by family that
women may not enter the mosque
while on their periods,
because they're unpure or even dirty
and God forbid, they enter a sacred place
in that condition.
They must wear all-white
after their husbands die for the rest of their lives.
Women must not pursue careers
in order to avoid hell.
They can't be leaders under Islamic law.
The list goes on.
But I've always wondered
if these claims were true,
because at school,
surprisingly enough,
every now and then
I would hear stories of
formidable Muslim women who
defied all of society.
Like,
sorry about that,
skipped a few slides.
Like, Umm 'Umarah.
She negotiated treaties
and fought alongside the Prophet.
She was extolled for her unparalleled
courage and Prophet Muhammad
would often tell his followers
that wherever he turned,
he could see Umm 'Umarah
defending him on the battlefield.
Khadija, the wife of Prophet Muhammad
was a prominent merchant
in a time where
only men were merchants, really.
And she was the breadwinner for her family
and lastly,
the Virgin Mary who many Muslim scholars
consider a prophet, showed the world
that God speaks to both men and women.
Historical records show, excuse me, historical records show that
Prophet Muhammad would often
consult women,
excuse me, I'm going to backtrack a bit,
so basically, wow, would you ever think
that such women would arise from
a seemingly patriarchal religion?
The fact of the matter is
I looked up to these women.
Umm Umara, Khadija, Virgin Mary.
And I used them to dispute
any claim that forced me
to become a second-class citizen.
But as I got older
and increased my exposure
to the media, and at sometimes
an accurate portrayal of Islam,
I could not deny
that the status of Muslim women
in Muslim communities is inferior.
So, like any millennial, I hit the...
Millennial.
Millennial. (Laughs)
Millenial.
Okay, I think I'm saying it right, now.
So like any millennial, I hit the Internet
and the Quran, of course
to better understand the inspiring
and influential faith I'd grown up with.
And I quickly realised,
that Islam, the Quran, Prophet Muhammad
were feminists in a sense that
they valued women and believed
in their equality.
Unlike any of the Abrahamic books,
the Quran actually addresses
both men and women
as seen through this verse.
Also, the Quran increases
the status of women, compared to
earlier era of cultures.
Firstly, it does not blame Eve
for original,
solely for original sin.
In Islam, Adam and Eve
made the decision together.
Islam also further increases
a woman's autonomy,
by giving her marital rights,
property rights, divorce rights,
equal opportunity rights, education rights,
I mean, these rights can go on.
And historical records also show
that Prophet Muhammad would
consult women on decisions
regarding his people.
In Medina, where the Muslims lived
and the Prophet reined over,
women were often community leaders,
teachers, learners,
and appointed political officials.
And these facts were really great.
I mean,
I was surprised, and I'm certainly sure
you are, too.
But the fact of the matter is,
they didn't answer
my one prevailing question, which was
where did the claims and the norms
that subjugated women come about?
And I soon realised the answer was culture
So whenever I'd asked my grandmother,
"Grandma, where did you hear
that women cannot enter mosques
while menstruating, or they should
isolate themselves after
their husbands' death?"
Her answer was always
"My Grandma."
or "It had been known for generations."
"Don't question it."
Funny enough, when I would ask her
"Why would I go to hell for
not wearing the hijab?" or
"Why can't Muslim women be leaders
under Islamic law?"
She would look at me in horror and say,
"Where did you hear that from?"
Yet, when I would ask the same question
to Middle Eastern women,
their answers would be, "My grandmother." or
"It had been known for generations."
I quickly began to realise
that Muslim women all around the world
were fed different lies
based on what their culture
and their society considered important.
In Bangladesh,
where my grandmother is from,
the hijab was never truly seen
as a staple for religious life.
Therefore she never held the notion
that one would go to hell for
not wearing it.
Whereas in Saudi Arabia,
where the burka is an obligatory attire
in a common place,
it's more natural for them to consider it
an intricate part of Islam.
Now that being said,
I come from a Bangladeshi family.
I can't speak for the cultures of
Southeast Asians, Hispanics,
Middle Eastern, or African Muslims.
But what I can say with certainty is that
the lines between culture and religion
have blurred greatly.
So I'm sure you're all wondering
"Where does feminism fit into this picture?"
Well, after deciphering culture from religion,
I have become emboldened
to assert my rights as a Muslim woman.
Be it sitting in the front row parallel to men,
because nothing in my religion
forces me to sit in the back.
Or simply taking on leadership roles
that are traditionally regarded as masculine.
I believe in womens' rights,
equality, and freedom.
And I certainly believe
that Muslim women should take up this baton
and defy the cultural norms
that are so ingrained
in both the East and the West.
I believe that Muslims
should stop depending on their culture
for religious guidance
and it's time for people to start realising
that Islam is a lot less oppressive
than what meets the eye.
Now before I leave you today,
I'd like to tell you a story
about a moment in my life.
It happened just after I was born,
when my father made a very important decision.
One that literally shaped who I am today,
and figuratively defines who I am now.
And basically, my father gave me
a different last name than his.
He wanted to insure
that I'd carry my own identity,
not that of the patriarchs before me.
He hoped that giving me a different last name
would allow me to pave my own future,
unbound to conventions or expectations.
Now, as a youngster
I would cry over this.
I mean, not only did my peers
question my legitimacy,
but airport security was complete trauma.
It was.
But in the midst of tears, anger, despair and complaints,
my father would often tell me,
"You are now free."
"Use your freedom to do something good."
So I suppose my name became
a self-fulfilling prophecy,
because I guess, here I am today.
My father did really have an impact on me.
And if one man can challenge cultural norms,
so can his daughter.
(Applause)